1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ore flotation processes, and more particularly, to ore flotation agents for use in ore flotation processes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ore flotation processes for recovering minerals in a froth from an aqueous slurry or pulp containing an ore or a concentrate of the ore are well known. In such processes, the ore is crushed and wet ground to obtain an aqueous slurry or pulp. Additives such as mineral flotation agents known in the art as "collectors" and mineral flotation agents known in the art as "depressants" are admixed with the pulp together with other additives such as frothing agents, stabilizers and the like to assist in separating certain minerals from others. The pulp is then aerated to produce a froth at the surface thereof. Certain minerals contained in the pulp adhere to bubbles of the froth and are carried to the surface of the pulp therewith. Other minerals do not adhere to bubbles of the froth and remain with the tail product or remaining pulp. The minerals adhering to bubbles of the froth are then skimmed or otherwise removed and separated. Both the froth product and the tail product can be further processed to obtain desired minerals. In this way, valuable minerals can be separated from undersired or gangue portions of the ore.
Depressants, also called suppressants, increase the mineral selectivity of the process when admixed with the pulp by reducing the flotation of certain minerals and thereby increasing the production of certain minerals. In other words, depressants selectively inhibit the adherence of certain minerals to the bubbles of the froth thus assisting in the separation of certain minerals from others.
Collectors are added to the pulp to cause certain minerals contained therein to adhere to bubbles of the froth so that they can be recovered when the froth is skimmed or otherwise removed from the pulp. Typical mineral flotation collectors include xanthates, amines, alkyl sulfates, arenes, suflonates, dithiocarbamates, dithiophosphates, thiols, and fuel oils.
Many depressants and collectors have been developed heretofore. It is known in the art that some dithiocarbamates and derivatives thereof are useful as mineral flotation agents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,551 discloses that certain dialkyl dithiocarbamates are useful as collectors in froth flotation processes.
By the present invention, it has been discovered that certain sulfenyl dithiocarbamates are very effective as mineral flotation agents in froth flotation processes. Thus, by the present invention, an improved process for the recovery of minerals from an ore or concentrate containing the same is provided.